June 2021
ENGAGE! CID Newsletter
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Remembering Cruz Reynoso, first Latino justice on California Supreme Court |
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The Center for Inclusive Democracy was deeply saddened by the passing of the Honorable Cruz Reynoso last month, who we were privileged to have as a member of our advisory board for the last nine years. His death is a great loss for both California and our nation, and for all who fight on the front lines day-in and day-out for a more inclusive and equitable society.
The son of migrant Mexican farmworkers who worked alongside his family during harvests, Judge Reynoso become one of the most heralded champions of civil rights, immigration reform, school desegregation and many other critical issues impacting Latinos and rural, low-income communities. After a long and groundbreaking career, including serving as the associate general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission and the director of California Rural Legal Assistance, he was appointed by then Governor Jerry Brown to the California Supreme Court, becoming the first Latino to ever be named to the state’s highest bench.
It was our honor to have known him and learned from him. His brilliance, kind spirit, modesty and deep commitment to the underrepresented will be remembered for decades to come.
Mindy Romero, Ph.D.
Director, Center for Inclusive Democracy
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Here are the Texas GOP's reasons for voting restrictions — and why critics disagree. |
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Voting rights legislation is currently under consideration in dozens of states. In Texas, pending legislation seeks to impose new limits on the vote-by-mail system and to restrict how and when people can vote in person. Iterations of the bill have also called for increasing existing criminal penalties and creating new criminal offenses around voting. This NPR story details what the voting legislation's supporters are saying and how their critics are responding.
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Improving California’s Automatic Voter Registration |
Eric McGhee of the Public Policy Institute of California, Radihika Mehlotra, along with CID’s Mindy Romero, discuss reforms to make California’s automatic voter registration law work better. PPIC reported in February that California’s voter registration rate was higher than ever, up 15% from six years ago. In this blog post, the researchers offer ideas about how even more voters could be registered this way in the future. |
Golden State Democracy: How California Expanded Voter Access During a Pandemic |
California Common Cause has issued a new report about how California prepared for the 2020 general election in the midst of the pandemic. This comprehensive report also discusses the top election issues experienced by voters during this most recent election cycle. |
Documenting and Addressing Harassment of Election Officials |
This week the California Voter Foundation released a new report, “Documenting and Addressing Harassment of Election Officials” to shed light on the alarming rise of attacks and threats made against the people in charge of running U.S. elections. The report is authored by Grace Gordon and is based on interviews with eleven election officials from six states and eight election experts. It includes recommendations for addressing harassment of election officials, including increasing funding for election administration, strengthening legal protections, building a cross-sector network to support election officials and addressing mis- and disinformation through greater public education and philanthropic support for nonprofits. The report, webinar recording, slide deck, news release, bibliography and media coverage are online at https://www.calvoter.org/harassment.
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Civil Rights Organizations Release Redistricting Guide |
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CID's Mindy Romero has been awarded the 2021 Chester A. Newland Award for Academic Excellence by the Sacramento chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. The award recognizes scholarship and leadership in public administration or the education of public administrators.
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Many of our partners and supporters are hiring. Check out the job opportunities below: |
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With California eyeing a $76 billion budget surplus, Governor Gavin Newsom recently proposed millions of dollars in rebates to Californians. CID Director Mindy Romero comments on the impact of the rebates and other issues potentially impacting the Governor’s political future.
California's top election official Secretary of State Shirley Weber faces her first big challenge, overseeing the recall election of Governor Newsom, who appointed Weber to her post. CID’s Mindy Romero weighs in on the importance of Weber and local election officials clearly conveying the "nuts and bolts" of the recall to voters.
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Share Your Democracy Research with CID |
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CID is interested in broadening awareness of new research on elections, voting, civic engagement and related issues. Have research to share? Just send a short write-up to Alexander Richardson at ar04928@price.usc.edu for consideration. Thanks for reading and staying engaged!
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Center for Inclusive Democracy |
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The Center for Inclusive Democracy (CID), formerly known as the California Civic Engagement Project (CCEP), is part of the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy and is based in Sacramento. CID conducts a range of national and multi-state research initiatives exploring voting behavior, civic engagement, electoral and economic research, the intersection of social justice and democracy, and more. Its research informs and empowers a wide range of policy and organizing efforts aimed at eliminating disparities in social and economic well-being. Now a cornerstone project nested within CID’s larger umbrella, the CCEP continues to produce groundbreaking resources and research for California. |
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